How to naturally lighten skin fast

Adam WatkinsUpdated July 18, 2017

Many people and cultures across the globe view fair skin as beautiful. While many products exist to help you achieve this look, some whitening products can be very damaging to your skin. If you want lighter skin, or need to get rid of dark patches but don't want to subject your skin to harsh chemicals, there are natural alternatives.

Exfoliate your skin once a week. Exfoliating can help lighten your skin by removing dead skin cells and dirt that regular washing doesn't achieve. A quick and simple exfoliating paste can be made by combining two tablespoons of both oatmeal and brown sugar with a quarter cup of milk.

Increase the abrasiveness of your exfoliation by adding a teaspoon of coarse sea salt to the paste.

Apply lemon juice to your face and let dry. Use just enough lemon juice to completely moisten your face, or you may use this as a spot treatment to lighten dark patches. Because lemon juice is so acidic, this is an effective natural method to help lighten skin and will also help control breakouts in those who are acne prone.

Apply lemon juice as often as every other day. However it is best to start with one application a week to allow your skin to adjust.

Apply a thin layer of liquorice extract twice a day. Liquorice extract serves as a natural skin whitener and can be found at most grocery stores.